1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tethered tool holder and more specifically to a tool holder which can be made of a flexible material having good gripping power such as silicon rubber and which is adapted to be removably attached to a tool such as a screwdriver, at least one leg of a pair of pliers and to tools of various diameters, sizes and shapes or to an accessory where the tool holder can be tethered to a user's hand, clothing, or to a fixed member to prevent a dropped tool from being lost or forgotten during use. The tether can be connected at one or both ends with a quick release snap type rotatable connector which will allow the tool to turn/spin without winding the tether.
2. Description of Related Art
Different types of devices for preventing the accidental dropping and/or loss of a tool and a tool accessory is known in the prior art. More specifically, by way of example U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2009/0276979 to Kauffman discloses a hand tool receiving apparatus which fits securely onto any hand tool and is attached, through the use of a center linkage assembly, to a wrist piece, which fits securely onto an operator's wrist.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,135 to Mikesell discloses a tether having an elastic member which provides an unstretched length having a first part and a second part with the first part of the unstretched length having less elastic resistance than a second part of the unstretched length to alter characteristics of stretch and recovery toward the unstretched length under load and unloaded conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,647 to Kinskey discloses a device for holding and organizing items which includes an anchor for fastening the device to an object; a strap adapted to secure the items to the device; and a connector having an upper piece and a lower piece that pivot relative to one another where the upper piece is connected to the anchor and the lower piece is connected to the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,470 to Alanis discloses a tool having a lanyard, a tool member and structures for attaching the lanyard and the tool member. The attaching structures include a pin that is attached to the lanyard and the tool member. The tool has a bore which is contiguous with an opening for receiving a pin. The opening is a slot and a pair of opposed first engaging surfaces which define the slot and engaging portions of a loop to maintain the pin within the slot and bore. A lanyard including a loop is received by the opening, where the loop defines an eyelet for receiving the pin to secure the lanyard to a tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,020,935 to Behn discloses a multiple item carrying device which allows a plurality of items to be carried, used and retrieved. The carrying device includes an adjustable main strap, a snap-fit closure along the length thereof, a mechanism at one end of the main strap to tether the device to a variety of locations, and a plurality of secondary straps at the other end for holding separate holders to which the items to be carried are secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,976 to Malvini discloses a hand tool tethering system for use with hand tools that includes a retractor adapted to be included in a housing of the hand tool, a tether attached to the hand tool's retractor mechanism at one end, and a coupling device at the opposite end for attachment to an operator or to a selected support structure. The retractor mechanism allows the tether to be movable between a stored position and a functional position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,317 to Parker discloses a tool lanyard for releasable attachment to a safety harness of a workman to resiliently arrest the inadvertent dropping of a tool by the workman. The tool lanyard includes a looped cord on one end of the lanyard to receive a tool in a tightly gripped relation and a hook on an opposite end of the lanyard for mounting on a ring of the safety harness. A resilient connecting structure between the looped cord and the hook minimizes any shock action resulting from inadvertent dropping of the tool while arresting the dropping of the tool. The resilient connecting structure includes an outer non-elastic sheath about an inner elastic cord.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,131 to Hopkins discloses a tool leash device having at least one coiled leash having a closed loop at one end secured to a split key ring, a snap ring having a selectively opened and closed locking member secured to the split key ring for attachment to a belt loop or the like, a trigger snap connected to the other end of the coiled leash having a selectively opened and closed locking member for securing the same to a closed loop portion of a flexible tie wrap, and a flexible elongated tie wrap having a closed loop portion at one end connected to the trigger snap locking member at the other end.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,040 to Matias discloses a retaining device for attaching a chainsaw to a worker, working aloft. The retaining device provides a tear-away component between two sections of a lanyard. When the chainsaw is pinched in a falling limb, the slow, tearing motion of the tear-away component results in a minimal amount of impact force being exerted on a worker. In the event the tear-away component pulls apart entirely, the chainsaw is released from the worker and falls to the ground with the limb. The worker maintains his/her position within the structure. Alternatively, if the chainsaw is dropped by the worker, it will fall below the feet of the worker, allowing him/her to retrieve the chainsaw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,319 to Elkins discloses a tool tether that includes an adjustable lanyard having a loop that fits over a user's hand that can be tightened. An opposite end of the lanyard from the loop includes a swivel clasping mechanism that can be connected to one of a plurality of hardware receptacles. The hardware receptacles include an eyelet or the like to allow it to be secured to the clasping mechanism. The hardware receptacles come in a wide variety of sizes to accommodate tools and hardware of different sizes and weights. In one embodiment, the hardware receptacles are cylindrically shaped rubber cups that are rigid enough to support different tools, and have different diameters. In an alternate embodiment, the hardware receptacles are flexible ring members that can be wrapped around a particular tool or component.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,321 to Fisher discloses a support strap for hand tools, hand guns and other hand-held implements having a pistol grip-type handle includes an elongated strip of flexible material having a ring attached to a first transverse end of the strip. A first fastener member is attached to the lower surface of the strip, near the second transverse end or tip of the strip, and a second fastener member which is releasably engageable with the first fastener member is attached to the upper surface of the strip. The strap is used by inserting the tip of the strap through the ring to form a first, wrist loop, into which loop the hand is inserted, and the free end pulled with a tension sufficient to tighten the loop to a desired tightness around the wrist of a user. The inner diameter of the loop is slightly less than the width of the strip to frictionally grip the edges of the strap. With the wrist loop of the strap attached to a person's wrist, the handle of a hand tool may be grasped and the tip of the strap pulled forward between the index finger and forefinger. The free end of the strap is then wrapped rearward around the handle to form a handle loop, around the thumb rearward of the rear joint of the thumb, and around the wrist to overlie the wrist loop. The free end is then pulled to tighten the handle loop. In an embodiment, the first fastener strip on the underside of the strip is a strip of VELCRO hook-type material, and the second fastener member is a length of VELCRO-type loop pile material that spans a substantial portion of the length of the upper surface of the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,873 to May discloses a buoyant tether cords that remove ignition keys from personal watercraft to safely disable the motor in the event a rider falls off. When dropped in the water the cords float so that the ignition key is not lost. The cords float horizontally to maximize visibility. The cord has an elongated embodiment and a looped embodiment. Both have a brightly colored floating body that is attached to a stretchable, coil section. The coil enables the cord to elongate or contract. Both cords have one end to be coupled to the watercraft key, and an opposite end to be coupled to the rider. The floating body comprises an elongated, tubular foam core having an interior passageway.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,899 to Larkin discloses a tool restraint having an elongate elastomeric tether line, with a first and second flexible strap mounted to each end. The first web strap is attached an individual's wrist, with the second strap is attached to a tool member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,156 to Braun discloses a tool wrist strap having a band, a looped cord and a clench bead on the cord. The band is made of a flexible elastic fabric material and formed by an elongated strip having opposite ends attached together. The band is adapted to fit loosely about a person's wrist. The looped cord is composed of flexible inelastic material and has a looped end portion and a pair of opposite ends attached to the band adjacent to one another. The clench bead is slidable on the looped cord and produces sufficient friction to hold the bead in any given position along the cord. The bead can be slidably moved by a person's hand in opposing directions away from and toward the looped end portion of the cord for untightening and tightening the looped end portion in a noose-like configuration about a portion of a tool.